There has been quite a bit of mystery and intrigue (or, more accurately, uncertainty and frustration) surrounding the DCEU in recent years. While at least one question has been answered with the confirmed existence and upcoming release date of the Snyder Cut, we cannot say the same about a once proposed film about Cyborg, which would see Ray Fisher would reprise his Justice League role as the lead.
Among fans, interest in the young hybrid of man and machine has only gone up as the character has seemed to decrease in priority for the people behind Warner Bros’ DC movie lineup, whose announcement of a Cyborg movie has reached no avail years later. The question of whether or not the solo film still has a future has been a source of much speculation ever since.
While Cyborg continues to exist onscreen on the animated Teen Titans Go! show and movie and in the same universe as hit series Doom Patrol and Titans, as portrayed by Jovian Wade, at the moment, there is no confirmation of plans to see the Ray Fisher-led project move forward anytime soon. Perhaps we can get to the bottom of why it has been shelved, and if there is still any reason to hope for its revival, by taking a deeper look into its history from the beginning.
The Cyborg Movie Was Said To Be An Origin Story
In 2014, a slew of interconnected films inspired by DC heroes were announced, including one that would put the spotlight on Cyborg, who became a member of the Justice League after The New 52 comic book reboot three years earlier. Ray Fisher’s Victor Stone first appeared in the form of an MP4 file in 2016’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice before his more formal debut in Justice League the following year, with neither offering a full explanation of his cybernetic physiology. In 2018, Joe Morton, who played Dr. Silas Stone, revealed to ET that the solo movie would shed light on Victor’s life before becoming Cyborg, which we still have yet to see onscreen, but may soon, as footage of his football career in the Snyder Cut trailer suggests.
The Cyborg Solo Movie Was Meant To Come Out in Early 2020
Speaking of which, the recent teaser for HBO Max exclusive release of the recut Justice League (which has resulted from years of fan demand) actually debuted months after Cyborg was initially slated to come out in theaters. To be fair, it is pretty unlikely that the solo picture would have ended up arriving on schedule in April 2020 (or lasted in theaters very long) anyway amid the many delayed release dates related to the outbreak of Covid-19. However, the fact there was never even a film to put out by that time, a whole six years after its announcement, is, arguably, even more disappointing.
Rumors Once Circulated Ray Fisher Was Leaving The Cyborg Role Altogether
Few people are as disappointed by the absence of the Cyborg solo project than its own star, Ray Fisher, who even became the subject to rumors similar to talk of Ben Affleck quitting Batman around the height of that mystery. While Batfleck’s exit eventually turned out to be true (until recently, that is), Fisher was quick to provide fans with the truth behind his DC role in an August 2018 tweet that read the following:
I don't usually engage the rumor-mill, but it's recent turn may be worth a little grist: I am NOT, nor do I have ANY intention of, leaving Cyborg. Furthermore, if/when the time comes for me to hangup my all-too-revealing mocap onesie, you will hear it from me directly. #BORGLIFE
It was actually more surprising that Ray Fisher had to confirm his commitment to the #BORGLIFE at all. Speculation of him quitting Cyborg would follow and precede multiple accounts of the actor voicing his own excitement over what to expect from the solo film, including ideas to make it a more internalized, personal journey than the typical good vs. evil flick that makes you wonder where the other Justice League members are. Soon after, however, he would cite that aforementioned “mocap onesie” as crucial to why the film was not yet a reality.
A Costly Budget Supposedly Hurt Cyborg’s Chances Of Getting Made
When it comes to most blockbuster franchises, almost every decision comes down to the dollar amount and, as Ray Fisher clarified in September 2018, the development of the Cyborg movie is no exception. While talking to Comicbook.com about the subject at New Jersey’s Heroes and Villains Fan Fest, the actor explained how his solo film would be an especially costly effort with the amount CGI required with his character being “the only member of the League that’s not in a practical costume.” While some might argue that the practical makeup effects on Jovian Wade’s Cyborg work just find on Doom Patrol, it is fair point, but does not explain why the film has never had a writer or director officially attached.
One Director Recently Expressed Interest In Helming Cyborg
Ray Fisher would cite Justice League helmer Zack Snyder as his first choice to direct the Cyborg movie in October 2018, which would actually be among the last times we would hear much of anything in regards to the standalone flick’s destiny. That was until just this past July when J.D. Dillard, director of superhero-esque Blumhouse gem Sleight, responded to talk of him taking over the long-awaited film with an enthusiastic tweet. This, however, was the last recent “update” regarding Cyborg before drifting back into sleep mode.
What do you think? Do you believe J.D. Dillard has the best chance of anyone to save the Cyborg solo movie from life support (or lack thereof), or do you believe it would be best for everyone if Warner Bros. went ahead and pulled the plug? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on Ray Fisher’s future in the role of Victor Stone, as well as other inside looks at even more comic book movies with uncertain destinies, here on CinemaBlend.
